The Last Temptation of Susan
by Dan Sickles
Summary: Queen Susan of Narnia never regretted her break-up with cruel, spoiled Prince Rabadash. But when magic sends her to a strange world ruled by dinosaurs, she's forced to team up with the sexy dark prince. Can lightning strike twice?
1. Poor Sweet Sue

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Prince Rabadash paid a terrible price for his foul desires. Now Queen Susan wonders if his punishment was the worst._

_(A sexy, slightly naughty sequel to THE HORSE AND HIS BOY. These characters are not mine.)_

CHAPTER ONE – POOR SWEET SUE

"But . . . did he really curse Aslan?" Susan's lovely face went pale with horror, as she imagined dashing, handsome Prince Rabadash in the grip of frenzied, self-destructive passion. Was she to blame for the madness that had driven him over the edge?

"I've never seen such a stupid brute," Lucy confirmed. "Even when it was obvious that Aslan was beginning to get very angry, the young fool kept right on challenging him, daring him to do his worst. I know Calormenes are foolish, but this was something else. I mean, we'd captured Rabadash. He had no army left, no hope of escape. He was all alone. But there he was, daring Aslan to strike him dead or worse. It's almost like he didn't care any more what happened to him."

"Yes." A dull pain began to throb in Queen Susan's head, a mix of regret and self-disgust and pity for that foolish boy. She remembered standing beside him on this very spot, the battlements of Cair Paravel, feeling his warm breath on her cheek as she gazed up at the stars.

"_Next to the stars, fair queen, your eyes shine brighter. Next to the night, your hair is darker and more lustrous. And next to the rose your lips are far more crimson. Kiss me . . ."_

"Susan? Aren't you feeling well, dear?" Though seated beside her on a bench strewn with silk cushions, Lucy's cheerful voice seemed more distant than the moon. Far more distant than the stars they had looked upon that night.

"_My mind and spirit have been engulfed in flames of desire. Come to Tashbaan, Susan. Let the fire consume us both."_

"I'm all right," Susan said faintly, painfully aware of both a thudding heart and a throbbing head "But Rabadash . . . he really must have been mad. Mad!"

"Well, it's lucky he didn't succeed in his mad plan to drag you back to Tashbaan," Lucy said practically. "Without our help, who knows what terrible things he might have done to you!"

"Who knows?" Susan forced a smile to hide her distress. She could imagine how ghastly she looked. Her face felt all drained of color. "I'm really grateful to you and Edmund, Lu. You've just been trumps."

"We've always stuck together, haven't we?" Lucy asked. "It's what Aslan wanted us to do. And anyway, I rather enjoyed getting to ride with the men folk into battle. Right at the end there was this tall Tarkhaan I really nailed from five paces. You should have heard him gurgle when he went down!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you were splendid, Lu. I'm sure it's what Aslan would have wanted!" Susan gave a shudder of relief as the men folk arrived on the battlements. High King Peter and King Edmund were both arrayed in their best finery, and Tumnus the faun walked jauntily between them, seeming to dance with every other step.

"Behold, the two fairest queens in Narnia!" Bright-eyed Tumnus wore a warm smile, but when he came closer his expression changed. "The two of you are like twin suns, lighting up all Narnia with your beauty. But one of our suns is dimmed. Are you feeling well, Your Majesty?"

"I'm very well, thank you, Mr. Tumnus." Susan tried to make a feeble joke. "Lucy's been telling me war stories. That's all."

"She's sad about Rabadash getting such a terrible punishment," Lucy chirped. "Poor sweet Sue's still got a mad crush on that foolish, foolish boy."

"That's rot," Edmund said angrily. "Rabadash is a brutal savage. If he ever got his hands on poor sweet Sue . . ."

"Everyone stop talking about Susan like she's not here," Peter commanded. The High King regarded his wan, beautiful sister with serious blue eyes. "It's like this, Sue. This afternoon more than a hundred veterans of the Archenland raid are coming to Cair Paravel to be honored for their valor by the kings and queens of Narnia. Tonight the new ambassador from Calormene arrives . . . with a peace offering from the Tisroc. Those are both state occasions, and I need Queen Susan of Narnia by my side. Are you up to it?"

"Of course I'm up to it," Susan insisted gently. "I'm so sorry to make everyone worry. I just need time to think about all that's happened."

"If Your Majesties will permit me, I think Queen Susan has made an excellent suggestion. Her Majesty merely needs a bit of rest to be her usual dancing self." Tumnus the Faun gave a little skip, making the others laugh. "May I escort you to your rooms, Your Majesty?"

"I know it's foolish, but I can't help feeling that somehow all this is my fault." Susan hugged her pillow and stared moodily at the marble floor of her bedchamber.

"Would you be happier if Rabadash had killed your brother and your sister, laid waste to Archenland, and kidnapped you by force?" Tumnus the Faun was ordinarily the gentlest of creatures, quite well suited to give the Queen of Narnia her afternoon massage. On this particular afternoon, however, his gentle touch was a little more brisk than usual.

"I don't understand how Rabadash could have done those things," Susan protested, as the faun's slender, yet firm fingers dug into the weary muscles of her back. "The raid was a terrible tragedy for both sides. There must have been some way I could have prevented all that pain and suffering."

"You could have given in to his foul desires," Tumnus told her. "But then you would have been a slave, not a queen."

"Yes, I know." Susan sighed deeply, and allowed her weary brown eyes to close. Sensing her dejected mood, the kindly faun gentled his touch, making it easier for her to fall asleep. But even as she slipped away to slumber, Susan found that a tart, unpleasant question lingered on the tip of her tongue.

_Everyone talks about evil Prince Rabadash's foul desires. What about my desires? _


	2. The Mirror Of TohLedom

The Last Temptation of Susan

_Chapter Two: The Mirror of Toh-Ledom_

"Ha! Got you, Mr. Owl!" Queen Lucy's excited shriek rang out through the great banquet hall of Cair Paravel. She was practicing her archery with the new ivory-inlaid bow that Benruz Tarkhaan had presented her with at supper.

"Oh, dear. Mr. Owl? Are you all right?" Narnian feasts were never very formal. The whole crowd leapt to their feet and ran down to the far end of the hall, Lucy leading the way.

"It's lucky for my sister that Aslan gave her a healing cordial that instantly cures all wounds," sighed Queen Susan. Since all the servants had run to help Lucy with her wounded owl, there was no one to object when she poured her own wine and drank deeply. Susan was feeling low, and she didn't understand why. It was like being homesick during the middle of a school term, and yet that didn't make sense. Narnia was her home, after all.

Wasn't it?

"Doubtless your sister's potion heals some wounds better than others," said the grave voice of the bearded Tarkhaan. The Calormene ambassador gave Susan a knowing look. "Wounds of the body can often be cured by gifts, O Queen. But only the right sort of gift can cure a wounded heart."

"What sort of gift might that be, O wise Tarkhaan?" Susan hadn't smiled all evening, yet she felt her spirits lighten a little as Benruz offered her a flat, cloth-wrapped parcel. Everyone else was busy with Lucy, and it was nice to have a quiet moment just between the ambassador and herself.

"Oh, a mirror. How lovely!" Susan flashed the ambassador a slightly naughty smile. "My royal brothers and my sister are always teasing me about my vanity. It's a fitting gift, isn't it?"

"Your beauty, O Queen, is worthy to be admired by all," said the Tarkhaan in his warm, mellow voice. "Yet there is one who pines for a sight of your face, who will never see you again."

"You mean Prince Rabadash." Susan frowned at her face in the mirror. Something was off. Her eyes looked darker than usual, smoky and mysterious. "He behaved very badly, Benruz Tarkhaan. I cannot love a man who would use violence to get his own way!"

"Love is what drove our prince to break the peace, and love is what torments him still. Yet with this mirror you may see and speak with Rabadash, with no danger and no dishonor."

"And what makes you think I want to see the prince again?" Susan slipped the mirror back in its cloth case. She gave the bearded Calormene a regal look, cool and disapproving.

Benruz Tarkhaan bowed slightly. "The Mirror of Toh-Ledom is yours, O Queen. It can only reflect your true desires."

"Are you really telling me that Rabadash thinks I could still want him? After all the horrible things he's done?" Susan flushed, the heat rising to her face in a way that made her feel flustered and agitated and very un-queenly. Her slim white hands shook as she poured herself more wine.

"The prince wanted to carry you away from Cair Paravel," the Tarkhaan replied. "Are you happy here, Queen Susan?"

****

It was no use trying to fall asleep. Queen Susan of Narnia had been tossing back and forth in her huge canopy bed for hours, yet every time she closed her eyes she remembered kissing Prince Rabadash on the battlements of Cair Paravel. Everything had been so simple then, and they had both been so happy. Rabadash understood the part of her that her brothers and her sister couldn't accept. He had shown real kindness to her friends and she had felt a deeper goodness inside him. But the moment she confessed her love and they journeyed to his country his personality had changed. How had things gone so wrong between them?

Susan knew that there was only one way to find the answers. She had to look into that mirror.

When she climbed out of bed, the moonlight was falling across the emerald green lawns of Cair Paravel, turning all the fountains to crystal and the stone statues to silver. It was a scene of such great beauty that her heart skipped a beat. Yet she felt a bit guilty as she caught a glimpse of the great stone lion in the center courtyard. It was only a statue of Aslan, not the real thing, and yet . . . Susan didn't allow herself to finish the thought.

Sitting down at her pretty rosewood dressing table, she lit a lamp and drew forth the mirror from its cloth wrappings. She peered curiously into the glass, and again she saw a mysterious, smoky fire in her eyes that she didn't recognize. And then all at once the mirror started to glow, growing bigger while she watched. Feeling dizzy, Susan rose to her feet. She tried to back away, but instead she tumbled forwards, falling straight into the Mirror of Toh-Ledom.


	3. Welcome To The Jungle

The Last Temptation of Susan

_Chapter Three: Welcome to the Jungle_

Susan knew right away that she was back in the southern land of Calormen. The heat in the jungle hit her like a wave, and before she walked ten paces her pale white skin was covered with a fine sheen of perspiration.

There was no sign of her former love Prince Rabadash – indeed there were no humans of any kind. Perhaps it was just as well, for the Queen of Narnia could hardly appear before the royal court in Tashbaan wearing only a bed gown. And if she ran into Rabadash alone dressed like this . . .

Suddenly a tiny shape darted across the narrow jungle trail. It was about the size and shape of a chicken, but Susan had never seen any chicken, either in England or in Narnia, that wore greenish-brown scales and a blue crest on its head.

"I wish you were a robin," she said, trying to force a smile. "Or a talking beaver." A dozen more dashed by underfoot, nearly tripping her. Susan was beginning to feel nervous. What kind of world was this? She was all alone, scarcely half-dressed, and surrounded by small lizards in a big hurry to get somewhere.

BOOM! That was a footstep. BOOM! It was coming this way. BOOM! Susan put the whole picture together, and began to run as fast as she could in a silk bed gown. Her little friends had obviously been fleeing something very big and very bad!

RAAWWRRRR!!!! The earth-shattering cry shook the treetops, sending flocks of colorful birds in every direction. Except for the great lion's call, Susan had never heard a more overpowering roar. She glanced over her bare shoulder, half-dreading and half-hoping to see Aslan himself.

Instead she saw a nightmare, standing over two stories tall.

RAAWWRRRR!!!! The great reptile caught sight of her the moment she turned to look at him. Taller than a Narnian giant, it had tiny little front legs and huge back legs that were perfect for crashing loudly through the undergrowth. And then there were the teeth, razor sharp fangs in a mouth that could swallow her whole. That was plainly the idea, for the hungry reptile let out another roar and changed direction, plainly deciding to make Susan its next meal.

While never quite as brave as her brothers and her sister, Susan still had plenty of determination – and two long legs of her own. She ran as fast as she could, fighting the tangled undergrowth and the flimsy bed gown that hampered her. But it was obvious that the beast was gaining at every step. Was it a dinosaur from her world's vanished past? Or was it a monster found only in the magical world of Narnia? Were dinosaurs in this world any more real than mythical beasts?

Susan had never been very good at schoolwork, and at the moment she cared even less about scientific theories. Her main concern was to avoid becoming dinosaur dinner. She couldn't slow down, but if she kept running at top speed she would exhaust herself and be even easier prey. She was tired, panting already. And then just as her lungs and her heart were ready to give out she found herself flying!

She hadn't turned into a bird, of course. What had happened was that Susan had been running very fast without watching where she was going, and her steps led her right over a cliff. But instead of plummeting to her death on jagged rocks she fell into a deep, fast-moving river with a noisy splash.

Susan was a very good swimmer. Aside from archery it was the one strenuous outdoor activity she really enjoyed. She knew enough not to fight against the current, however, especially in her present state. She let the cool, swift water carry her along, fervently hoping it would take her well away from the teeth and jaws of that fearsome creature. Before long however, the current was pushing her in towards shore, and she banged herself pretty badly against the slimy rocks.

By the time she hauled herself out of the water, Susan was completely exhausted, soaking wet and covered with cuts and bruises. She didn't care to enter the jungle again, so she followed the stony river bank for a mile or more, picking her way on bare feet. The sharp rocks cut her feet, adding to the ache of fresh bruises and the sting of her other wounds. And there were black biting flies that buzzed around her head. Susan swatted at them as she stumbled along. She felt like crying, but that was something a Queen of Narnia never did.

At last she came to a wide green lawn, obviously cultivated by humans and lovingly well-maintained. There was a big white house with a red roof in the distance, and Susan knew that she would have to go there to get help. But instead of walking any further the Queen of Narnia simply collapsed in the soft green grass. It was a long time later when someone nudged her with his toe, then shook her very gently.

"Susan? Is it truly you, O Queen of My Desire?" The male voice was warm and rich, reassuring and very familiar.

Susan tried to speak. Instead she moaned, and coughed up a little water, feeling too tired even to lift her head.

"Is that the northern queen? She looks like a drowned rat," said a girl's nasty voice.

"Rabadash?" Susan looked up at last, amazed to see the proud, handsome prince looking down at her. But it wasn't the deep yearning in his intense dark eyes that shocked her.

Prince Rabadash of Calormen was wearing fresh tennis whites and a brand new pair of sneakers.


	4. Dinosaurs And Magazines

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Four: Dinosaurs and Magazines _

One thing about Prince Rabadash had not changed. He was still the most arrogant young man Susan had ever met.

"You, little one. Run to the big house and tell the wife of Benruz Tarkhaan to prepare a guest chamber and a bath for the Queen of Narnia."

"Nyaah, nyaah, nyaah!" In Tashbaan everyone jumped to obey the prince's commands. But apparently here in the jungle it was different. Even lying facedown on the grass, Susan could sense the little girl sticking out her tongue. "Who cares about that filthy barbarian queen getting washed up on our doorstep? She looks like a drowned rat. You've got to marry me whether you want to or not!"

Rabadash laughed in the old cruel way. "I'll give you a taste of marriage right now if you don't get moving."

"Don't!" Susan tried to protest, but the tall, dark, handsome young prince swept her up in his arms.

"I don't want to marry you," she choked out, in a feeble voice. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the spoiled little girl running as fast as she could towards the big house. But Susan's main focus was on the bronzed face of the prince. He was holding her in his arms and gazing into her eyes, but his expression was hard to read.

"Much has changed for both of us, O beautiful Queen," he said, speaking gravely and in the formal Calormene way. And then he carried her up to the main house.

****

So many questions!

Lying in a hot bath with her feet up and her eyes shut, Susan tried to sort out everything that had happened since she first looked into the Mirror of Toh-Ledom. One thing was clear – she was already in way over her head.

Long ago, wise old Professor Kirke had said that the four Pevensie children were each part of a greater whole. Lucy was the heart of the Pevensie family. Edmund was the mind. Peter was the soul.

Where did that leave Susan?

Just then someone tapped on the door of her bedroom suite.

"Come in, please!" Though she didn't rise from the bath or open her eyes, Susan still felt a ripple of worry. It might be Rabadash, after all. He was still the imperious prince she remembered, even if he had given orders for her to be treated like visiting royalty.

"Dinner awaits, O Queen," said a soft voice. "And there are pictures and writings from the other world."

"From the other world?" Susan sat up in the steaming bath, alarmed and blinking her sleepy brown eyes. The heavy and immensely dignified wife of Benruz Tarkhaan bowed low.

"My noble husband will return soon, and make all things clear to you," the older woman said. "It is only through his great wisdom that we enjoy the splendor of other worlds. Meantime it is our hope that you will rest with an easy mind, a guest in our humble home."

"I'm very grateful for your hospitality." Susan climbed from the bath, and let the Tarkhaan's woman towel her dry. "As you know, I am Susan of Narnia, and my brother is the High King Peter. Might I know your name, kind Tarkheena?"

"Zuleika is your servant's name," the woman replied, flashing a shy smile that made her look much less intimidating.

"And the little girl I met this afternoon, is she your daughter?" Cocooned in an enormous towel, Susan followed stately, plump Zuleika into the bedroom. A lace bed gown and a steaming supper were waiting on the wide soft bed.

"Alas no, fairest queen. The Tarkhaan and I are childless." As Susan prepared for bed, Zuleika explained that the girl called Rozalina was an orphan. "Her parents died long ago, and her older brother was killed in the wars. Please forgive us for her rudeness this afternoon. The prince told me of it, and it shall not happen again."

"Of course I forgive you! And my heart goes out to that poor girl. Perhaps tomorrow the two of us can become friends."

"Doubtless your kind heart will overcome all obstacles." The Tarkheena gave her a peculiar look, then said goodnight.

Susan enjoyed the meal of broiled jungle fowl and steamed vegetables with a goblet of wine, followed by fruit and almond cakes and fig pudding. But the glossy pictures on the bedside table caught her eye. For when she examined them closely, she found that they were not ancient legends or magic spells. Instead they were . . .

"Fashion magazines!" From the moment she saw darkly handsome Prince Rabadash in his bright tennis whites, Susan had sensed that someone had found a doorway into her world, much like the wardrobe that had first brought her to Narnia. But she would never have dreamed that anyone would be able to go back and forth and make regular shopping trips. Suddenly it all made sense! The clothes, and this lovely tropical villa with electric lights and hot and cold running water, were all part of a spell worked by Benruz Tarkhaan. His home was built by magic. He was the one who had given her the mirror of Toh-Ledom . . .

Susan knew that she needed to find out what Benruz Tarkhaan was up to. Had he invited her here because he knew she was connected to the other world? Was Aslan involved? And where did Rabadash and the little girl fit in?

Propped up on pillows, Susan read till her eyes drooped. In a way it was lovely. Skimming over the latest swim suits and evening wear was just like being home again. But these fashions didn't look right. They were too skimpy and sexy. Slowly the truth dawned on her. These simple yet daring fashions weren't from her time. They were from the future!

Susan closed her eyes, overwhelmed by what she saw. Seven years had passed since she left England. She had been a skinny twelve year old girl then. Now she was a mature nineteen-year old woman. But in her world, how many more years had passed? Sleep closed in before she could find any answers, but her last waking thought was that dinosaurs and magazines didn't mix.


	5. Out In The Open

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Five: Out In The Open _

"Enough!" Prince Rabadash had been losing at tennis all morning, and when Susan got ready to serve again he halted the game with an imperious cry. "The day grows hot, barbarian queen. Let us drink and rest beneath the trees. You have exercised enough for one day."

"It's not good to be a sore loser." Queen Susan smiled, but inwardly she felt a bit nervous. Rabadash was her host, but she knew from experience how quickly he could change from courteous to cruel. If they were ever going to get along, she would have to teach him to manage his fiery temper.

"Nothing is good about losing," the prince grumbled. "This lesson was one of many I learned as a result of losing you." Though he sounded angry, when he pulled back a chair for her his manner was relaxed, his eyes amused.

"My sister Lucy tells me you had words with Aslan." Susan seated herself with dignity, keeping her voice cool and polite. "How did it feel, being turned into a donkey?"

"Ah, I understand. You know the Lion is watching out for you. That is why you feel safe with me now." Rabadash didn't blow up. He gave her a steady look, his dark eyes seeing right through her skimpy modern tennis outfit. "Yes, it is true. When all was lost I cursed the great Lion, and he gave me a stiff punishment. He has great power, and I respect that. Yet something tells me his power is not absolute."

"What makes you say that?" Susan asked.

He smiled. "You are here. And not by the Lion's will."

"How do you know what Aslan wants? He's not a tame lion!" Susan blushed. Deep down she felt that Aslan really would _not_ approve of her feelings for Rabadash, tame or not. And the prince knew what she felt. He remembered everything they'd done before. That only made her blushes even hotter.

"I know he is not," Rabadash said, gently. "But I also know he can be merciful. I am no longer a foolish donkey, Susan. But I'm still impatient to finish what was begun between us."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." Susan's voice was cool, but her cheeks were burning. Rabadash just looked at her, so dark and gorgeous and arrogantly sure of his appeal. "I was tricked into coming here against my will!"

"Of course you were, lovely queen. We are alike in that – and in other things too." Just then Zuleika arrived with refreshments on a tray. Rabadash poured iced tea for the two of them, his hands steady and his manner almost gentle.

"We are not alike. I'm gentle and good, you're cruel and evil." Susan glared at him as she sipped the delicious chilled tea, flavored with a slice of lemon. The ice in her glass chattered noisily, but only because her stupid hands kept shaking. "Were you really brought here against your will?" she asked, trying to ignore the strong undercurrent of physical attraction. "I thought you and Benruz Tarkhaan were friends."

"My liking for the man is wide as the sea," Rabadash replied. "Yet my trust is but a narrow pathway through the dark forest. For has not one of the poets said, the charm of the wicked invariably blinds the eyes of the gullible?"

"I think the poet was talking about someone else." Susan concealed a smile behind the frosty rim of her glass. "But the Tarkhaan seemed like a decent enough sort when I met him at Cair Paravel. How did you first meet him?"

Prince Rabadash refilled his drink, looking a bit shamefaced. "During the time of my punishment, I was often very lonely. Benruz Tarkhaan was one of two people in Tashbaan who took the time to visit me. Being famed as a magician, he thought that perhaps he could lift the donkey curse from me."

"But he did not succeed." Susan couldn't help but gloat a bit. "Aslan is not a tame lion. No man may undo his work."

The prince nodded. "When I think of all the hours I spent as a donkey, hopping through one magic hoop or another, having powders sprinkled over my fur, it's a wonder I didn't go quite mad! Benruz Tarkhaan seemed so confident, but before long it was clear to me that his magic was powerless. And then I began to think about the Lion, and why he had been given such power over me. What had I done wrong?"

Susan tightened her lips, holding back a tide of emotion. "Surely you need no clue from me, most sagacious prince."

Rabadash looked at her. "Yes, my feelings for you had reduced me to a sorry state. But my sufferings meant little when I began to realize how much my folly had cost others. Many good men died on that raid I led into Archenland."

The tide broke loose. "And many more would have, if you'd succeeded! If good people hadn't given us warning, my brother and sister wouldn't have been there to stop your treacherous attack. Why did you do it, Rabadash?"

"Why did I do it, cruel queen? Why did you leave Tashbaan? Why did you slip away secretly, without saying goodbye?"

"Because I knew you were a selfish, cruel brute at heart – and you proved me right!" Susan hated angry scenes, but at least things were finally out in the open. No matter what Rabadash did to her, at least she could say she'd given him a piece of her mind. Now and then it was good be angry, even if people said you were the gentle one in the family.

He looked furious as well. "By all of your gods and mine, Susan, beautiful though you are, you are still an icy fiend! Do you think I don't know I was wrong? Wrong when I tried to hold you here by force, wrong when I chased after you, wrong when I led my most faithful friends into a deadly trap! Until Aslan changed me I was blind to my hateful deeds – and now I'm unable to see, hear, or smell anything else!"

"Well, serve you right!" Susan didn't mean to rub it in, but she was still very upset. Her slim white hands shook as she poured herself more iced tea. "I suppose I should feel sorry for you, being a donkey and being laughed at by everyone. But it seems to me that Aslan was very merciful indeed!"

"Yes," the prince said, slowly. "I see that too. No punishment is as horrible as knowing yourself. Not for a man like me, anyway. But I have a question for you, Queen Susan."

"What question?" Susan looked at him warily. Now that she'd gotten things off her chest, she wanted to be alone. Her heart was racing, and she felt a nasty headache coming on.

"I know how it feels to be wrong," Rabadash stated quietly. "But how does it feel to be right?"

"How does it feel?" Susan gulped down her iced tea and stared at him. "What do you mean, how does it feel?"

The prince looked impatient. "How did you feel when you left me? Were you happy that you did the right thing?"

Her heart sank. "No," she said softly. "No, I was miserable."

Rabadash sighed deeply. "Then apparently, there is no difference between good and evil. I was miserable too."


	6. The Old Flame

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Six: The Old Flame_

When Queen Susan finally reached the sanctuary of her bedroom, the first thing she did was to fall down on the bed. There were so many things she needed to sort out – so many conflicting emotions and confusing desires.

Rabadash was the same haughty, hot-blooded prince she remembered – except that he wasn't. There was a sadness in him now, a sense of shame, even a desire for forgiveness. It was risky, but Susan believed his new attitude was sincere. She wanted to help him along the road to goodness.

But it wasn't all about goodness and forgiveness. The queen scrunched her face into the pillow, glad no one could see her. Part of her wanted the old Rabadash back again. Even when they were shouting at each other by the tennis court, memories of how he'd kissed her at Cair Paravel kept coming back. She'd expected the same wild behavior today. But this time Rabadash had let her escape, and Susan couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. All she could do was cry into her pillow. Gradually her tears subsided and she fell into a deep sleep.

"Awake, O beautiful northern queen. Awake! Evening has come at last, and so has my husband, Benruz Tarkhaan."

"Your husband?" Susan lifted her head from the damp pillows, blinking at the inky blackness of the sultry tropical night. She had been asleep for hours, and her dreams had been unsettling. Yet her stomach let out a loud growl, reminding her that she had not eaten since noon.

"Benruz Tarkhaan has returned from your own far-off kingdom, O queen, bearing gifts for the entire household. And his first gift is the gown you must wear this evening." Though her manner was solemn and dignified as always, Zuleika's round face beamed with pride as she held up the evening gown made of diaphanous black silk.

"Oh, my!" Something seemed to stir in Susan as she sat up on the rumpled bed and fingered the sheer, elegant garment. She still had plenty of questions for crafty Benruz Tarkhaan. But she was also very excited about dressing up and looking her best and making her dark desert prince really notice her.

"Your royal brothers and sisters send you their love," the Tarkhaan told her that evening. They were dining under colored lanterns in a breezy open gallery off the main house.

"They must have been terribly worried after my sudden disappearance," Susan said, a tiny frown knitting her brows. "Did you tell them you tricked me into coming here by looking into the Mirror of Toh-Ledom?"

Benruz shrugged. "I merely mentioned that you expressed regret about the fate of our much loved prince, and that you wanted to be sure he was safe and well. When you vanished King Edmund placed me under arrest, but as there were no signs of struggle in your room the High King soon let me go."

"Old friend, it is dangerous to mislead the northern barbarians," Rabadash put in. "They do not take well to lying. This I know too well from my own folly." He glanced at Susan, his fierce dark eyes unreadable in the flickering light. "I am very sorry, my queen. Seeing you again like this . . . it is not as I would have wished."

"Isn't it?" Susan asked tartly. She gave him a direct and almost challenging look, her flashing dark eyes daring him to acknowledge the passionate side of their fiery relationship. "Oh, but I forgot. You are engaged to be married."

"Rabadash has to marry me," Rozalina boasted. "Not just because he loves me, but because my brother died fighting by his side. He knows it was all his fault."

"Mind your tongue, Tarkheena!" Benruz Tarkhaan scowled at the young girl. "My wise and patient wife Zuleika has warned you once already. Do we need to send you to your room?"

"It was not all Prince Rabadash's fault," Susan said quietly. "It was partly mine, for lying to him and running away." Though her manner was quite composed, she felt herself blushing, for she had never admitted this to anyone before.

"The Queen of Narnia is the kindest and gentlest of ladies," Rabadash said, in a softer voice than usual. Though he was addressing Rozalina, he squeezed Susan's hand under the table. "She has come here at great risk to help us deal with the danger of the thunder lizards, and to find some way to close the doorway between worlds. She will never take your place, Rozalina. I still remember my debt to your brother."

Susan felt like asking the girl why she wanted to marry a prince who was too old for her, but she remembered that it was a Calormene custom for well-born girls to marry very young. She also knew that Rabadash was not in love with Rozalina. The girl was being selfish and cruel, holding him to a forced marriage. Why was she being so spiteful? Susan wanted answers, but if she said too much everyone would think she was jealous. Perhaps she was, really. Perhaps she was still in love with Rabadash herself!

The Queen of Narnia didn't want to think about that right now. Instead she pulled her hand free, and spoke to Benruz Tarkhaan in a very clear and queenly sort of voice.

"I'm afraid I don't know anything about thunder lizards, other than the fact that I was almost eaten by one the other day. In my world they are called dinosaurs. Did you bring me to your home only to become dinosaur food, Benruz Tarkhaan?"

"O wisest of queens, please know that I did not bring the great lizards into this land myself," the Tarkhaan replied. "You see, long ago there were many such beasts and even stranger things roaming about the jungles. That is why the first Tisroc to rule in Tashbaan decreed that it was death for any man to enter this southernmost province of the Calormen Empire. But as the long generations passed, this rule was forgotten. Many came to the southern jungles seeking gold and other precious stones, but when I came here five years ago it was only in search of knowledge."

"Knowledge wasn't all you found though, old friend," Rabadash interrupted. He glanced at Susan. "While others have been called to this world to do good deeds, you've built yourself a palace and enriched yourself beyond measure. And you did it by trading with people of other worlds."

"Yah, other-world people like you!" Freckle-faced Rozalina gave Susan a naughty, challenging grin. "I'll bet you'd never be brave enough to jump from one world to another."

"Oh, but I have," Susan replied, smiling. "More than once."

"Young Tarkheena, it is time you were in bed," said the wife of Benruz Tarkhaan, sternly. "But first, apologize to the northern Queen."

Rozalina sulked, and stuck out her lower lip. "I'm sorry, O wisest of barbarian queens," she said after a moment. "Doubtless your courage is even greater than your beauty!"

Susan laughed. "I doubt that very much, Rozalina. But I have traveled between worlds now and again." She glanced at Rabadash and Benruz Tarkhaan. "It is not something that should be taken lightly, or done for selfish reasons."

Rozalina was being ushered off to bed by Zuleika, the enormously dignified wife of the Tarkhaan. But she turned around in the doorway, looking back at the adults. "Well, that's what I'm going to do, too. In the ancient scroll it says the girl who does it wins herself a prince!"

"How interesting," Susan said, after the little girl had gone. With dinner over, she and Rabadash had settled themselves on a small sofa. "Did you read this scroll before you opened the door to other worlds, Benruz Tarkhaan?"

"Alas no, fair queen," replied the Tarkhaan. "If I had, I would have realized that opening the door to your world would allow the ancient thunder lizards to return as well. Now we have a danger that is growing day by day, and only a maiden who has traveled between worlds can stop it."

"But that maiden will not be you," Rabadash interrupted. His voice was low, but very fierce. His dark eyes held the fire that Susan remembered. "It must not be you."

"Ah, yes." Susan didn't have to think too hard to understand what was going on here. The scroll probably said that a maiden the prince loved could stop the dinosaurs, but that it would cost her life.

It all made sense, really. Rabadash was bending over backwards not to love her, but it was becoming increasingly clear that the old flame was very much still burning.

"I think I will leave you two young people alone to talk," Benruz Tarkhaan said, breaking a long, smoldering silence.

"Thank you for the lovely dinner, my lord Tarkhaan," Susan said, removing her cool gaze from the heated, yearning visage of Rabadash. "Before you leave us, do you think you could show us that wonderful new invention, the phonograph? I haven't heard music from my world in ages!"

"Certainly, my queen," the Tarkhaan said smoothly. "What would you like to hear? Classical music, Latin, jazz?"

"Latin music," Susan replied at once. "Something romantic." She leaned back on the sofa and smiled, her warm brown eyes teasing Rabadash from under long, seductive lashes.


	7. As Rash As Rabadash

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Seven: As Rash As Rabadash_

"You still want me, Rabadash," Susan purred, in her most grown-up voice, as she leaned back casually on the sofa. "And I still want you. Isn't that more important than an open gateway between your world and mine?"

Rabadash laughed, his white teeth very bright in the dimly lit study. "Dinosaurs are dangerous, my queen. You were almost eaten by one yourself – a very tasty meal indeed." His dark, handsome face grew serious. "To close that gate, two people must risk their lives. _You_ will not be one of them."

"_You_ will not order _me_ about like a child." Susan set her crimson lips in a provocative pout. Rabadash took the hint. Their first kiss in ages, and it was a moment of sheer bliss.

"I was half-afraid you'd turn into a donkey," Susan exclaimed, with a shaky little laugh. They kissed again.

"It appears I've passed the Lion's test," Rabadash replied. The way he sank back against the cushions told Susan how relieved he was. But then he sighed. "Perhaps a greater test is waiting down the road. The true test may be whether we have the courage to separate for the good of both our worlds. Perhaps that kiss – which I have dreamed of night and day for over a year – was merely a warning that I must steel myself to be unselfish, and give you up. To sacrifice all for the one you love – is that not Aslan's way?"

Susan frowned. "Isn't it possible Aslan wants us to close that gateway together? That would explain how I ended up here, when I was perfectly happy at Cair Paravel, wouldn't it?"

"Perfectly happy?" Rabadash challenged. For a moment he was the old dark prince, arrogant and supremely confident.

"Well, happy when I didn't think too much about you." Susan felt a bit sheepish. Rabadash could still see right through her, and that was somehow both annoying and thrilling. "But Dash, exactly what does it take to close the gate?"

"You cannot imagine the danger," Rabadash told her. "To seal the gate, two people must mount two pylons facing each other across a deep ravine. Each raises a crystal that catches the sun at the exact same moment. Both must stay in place and keep their crystals high in the air while the gateway screams with hot winds and bolts of flashing fire. And if either one should weaken, both will instantly perish."

"Oh, dear. And is it a very long climb to reach the pylons?" Susan knew she wasn't the best person for this sort of thing. At a time like this Edmund would be asking questions about the power source of the pylons. Lucy would be hoping for a glimpse of Aslan, while Peter would want to be sure no-one else was in any danger. But Susan found herself thinking of muddy trails, tired feet, buzzing insects and the stifling heat. All that was before the really dangerous work could begin.

Rabadash didn't mince words. "It is a long walk and then a long climb, my brave queen. We'll have to separate just when it gets really difficult. When we reach the top we'll be on opposite sides of the ravine, unable to help each other if the worst should happen. There will be no way to share a last tender moment if we fail. Not even a last kiss good-bye."

Susan rolled her eyes. "Kissing good-bye is never any fun. But if we stick together we might pull this off. And anyway, do you think I'd be happier lounging around here and drinking iced tea on soft cushions while you're out in the jungle being eaten by dinosaurs or zapped by lightning?"

Rabadash chuckled. "No, my queen. But I don't see why you should meet the same miserable fate as me. As you pointed out during our fiery quarrel the other day, you are innocent and good while I am cruel and evil." He stroked her cheek, his dark fingers cool against her white flesh. "If I have to die, I want this lovely face to be my last memory."

"And I want to face the danger with you. I'm a woman, not a fragile vase." When Rabadash just looked at her, Susan didn't hesitate to demonstrate exactly what she meant. She threw her arms around the prince's neck and kissed him fiercely, claiming her mate the way a tiger might have done. Neither of them could resist the heat of her desire. At last Rabadash drew back, cradling her flushed face in his firm hands.

"There is no getting shut of you," he breathed, looking deep into her eyes. "Once upon a time you ran away from me, but now I see that I can never run away from you. Thou and I are one, O Susan."

"Wherever you go, I go." Susan's voice was firm, but her lips trembled. This was exactly the kind of dangerous adventure she hated, but there was nothing for it but to plunge ahead. She forced a smile. "I can be just as rash as Rabadash."

"Be rash and follow me, then. But for tonight, our next destination is bed." He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, Susan of Narnia."


	8. Left Behind

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Eight: Left Behind _

Susan undressed for bed with a smile on her face. She was still a bit worried about the open gateway and the dinosaurs, but she was thrilled with the way her talk with Rabadash had gone. Both of them had matured a lot since the early days in Cair Paravel. Climbing into bed, the queen hugged her pillows with a happy sigh. Dash was still mad about her. He was so brave and handsome! More important, the prince had a kind heart. He wanted to do good. His kisses made her melt. In the morning they would sort things out together.

"Ah, the sun is glorious," said a husky female voice, late the next morning. An unseen hand drew back the curtains.

"No more kisses, Dash. Get up early tomorrow." Susan rolled over mumbling in her sleep as golden sunlight flooded the room.

"Awake, fair queen." A plump hand shook her gently by the shoulder. "Our beloved prince has gone to the mountains, seeking wisdom on the peaks by the light of the rising sun."

"What? Gone seeking wisdom? What mountains?" The Queen of Narnia awoke with a jolt. A heavy, black-clad woman was standing beside the bed.

Zuleika Tarkheena bowed low. "The prince left early this morning, o northern queen. But the new day awaits you."

Susan sat up in bed, her lovely brown eyes shooting sparks. "What do you mean, Prince Rabadash left for the mountains at sunrise? Was he alone? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Plump Zuleika stifled a smile as she offered a tray of food. "The prince will return soon, fair one. He left you a note."

"That was decent of him, anyway," Susan muttered. Her good sense told her that anger was unqueenly. All the same, as she spread the note on her breakfast tray and quickly read it over her fine dark brows knitted into a fierce frown.

_Sweet Susan,_

_Do not be angry. Have gone to the mountains to ask Aslan's blessing for our dangerous quest. Will return soon. Can you play a game or two of tennis with Rozalina? She must learn to control her temper – it is a Calormene trait. Love, DASH._

"No, it's a human trait," Susan growled, crumpling the note into a tiny ball and dropping it in the far corner of her tray. She felt like hitting Rabadash, or hugging him. Going to seek out Aslan was exactly the right thing to do – so why was she feeling so left behind?

What she really needed was to get moving herself, and do something to unravel all the mysteries of this strange jungle. While she was eating a late breakfast in bed Susan thought about rushing out and trying to catch Rabadash on the trail, but a glance out the window told her it was nearly noon. Dash had too good a start, for he had gotten up early while she caught up on her sleep. Now it was too late to catch him. And if she wandered into the jungle alone there was a good chance she might meet another hungry dinosaur – perhaps even the same one who tried to gobble her up before!

Just then she remembered seeing green, cultivated fields and gently rolling hills out behind the spacious modern villa of Benruz Tarkhaan. A walk in the fields could do no harm – she might see the mountains in the distance. And if she learned more about Benruz Tarkhaan it would be a good thing too. Rabadash said he liked him, but did not trust him. Susan lay back on the rumpled pillows, lacing her hands behind her head. She was still thinking things over when the Tarkhaan's plump, smiling wife came back for her tray.

"Ah, your appetite does the cook much honor, fair queen! Would you like me to lay out your tennis dress? Or perhaps you would rather put on a bathing costume and swim in our outdoor pool? Later on a rest in the shade might be good, and while you are resting I will bring you some iced tea."

"That all sounds lovely, thanks," Susan said politely. "But this morning I thought I'd look through some of the clothes your honored husband has brought me from my own world. I want to explore outside for a bit, too. But not too far, I promise!"

One thing Susan was good at was getting along with the more stuffy variety of grown-ups. Zuleika was a bit nervous about her going outside at first, but after the two of them spent an hour going through the young queen's wardrobe the kind-hearted older woman was completely on her side.

"Imagine how our beloved prince will feel when he catches sight of you in that outfit!" Zuleika exclaimed, after Susan had finally put together the right sort of clothes to wear. "Your figure is feminine, but in that attire you could almost pass for a man. Such short trousers and such sturdy boots!"

"In my world women have more freedom, and therefore we dress more sensibly." Susan really didn't wear trousers that often. She realized that the olive green shorts and matching blouse did not conceal her curves. Just the opposite, in fact. But she was sure Rabadash would approve of her new look.

When she got outside, of course, her choice of shorts and a blouse seemed even more sensible. The noonday sun was fierce, and the humidity was oppressive. Susan had knotted a lemon-yellow kerchief around her throat just to give her drab walking outfit a touch of color. As she climbed the gently sloping landscape behind the villa she realized she would soon need the gaudy rag just to mop her sweaty face.

There wasn't much to see in the green fields. After walking a mile or more uphill, the Queen of Narnia stopped to rest. Shading her eyes with her hand, Susan looked towards the mountains. The twin peaks that marked the gateway to other worlds looked very far away. She wondered which route Rabadash had taken. She wondered when he would be back.

She also wondered what sort of crops Benruz Tarkhaan was growing. The low, green bushes she saw all around her didn't resemble any food crops that she knew. They were rather like blackthorn bushes in England. Sloes grew on blackthorn bushes, and the black berries were good to eat. But Susan didn't see any sloes here.

The tired and sweaty Narnian queen was just turning back towards the air-conditioned villa when something small and hard hit her between the shoulder blades.


	9. A Brother's Sacrifice

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Nine: A Brother's Sacrifice _

When the nasty little Calormen girl hit her from behind Susan felt a jolt of genuine fear. Rabadash was not around. No-one was going to help her reason with Rozalina. But sooner or later the two of them would have to straighten things out.

"Only a coward would throw rocks from behind the bushes," Susan said out loud. "I've often heard that Calormenes are cruel people, but I've never heard of a Calormen coward."

There was a rustling in the bushes, but no other sound.

"I wonder if your brother taught you to be afraid of people," Susan said, in a softer voice. "Are you afraid of me?"

"I'm not afraid of you!" Rozalina Tarkheena emerged from the bushes with her chin up high. "My brother was Reza Tarkhaan, and he was a hero. He was never afraid of anything!" The slim, dark-skinned little girl looked quite fierce. Her eyes were full of tears. Her fists were full of rocks.

"Tell me more about Reza Tarkhaan, please." Susan was careful to stay cool and queenly. It wouldn't do to be her weak, tender, soft-hearted self. Respect was the key here.

"Why should I tell you . . ." the girl began, but just then there was a muffled roar from the distant jungle.

"Oh dear," Susan said, forcing a smile. "It sounds as if the big thunder lizards from the other side of the river are getting closer. _I'm_ not afraid. But shouldn't we get out of the open just to be on the safe side?"

"I know where we can go," Rozalina told her. "I have a secret hiding place."

It was a long walk back to the luxurious villa of Rozalina's guardian, Benruz Tarkhaan. A weary Susan almost suggested they have their talk indoors. After all, the secret hiding-place was just a shady spot behind the flower gardens. The rich black soil was still damp from last night's rain. But as she mopped her sweaty face with a bright yellow kerchief the Queen of Narnia reflected that Rozalina was inviting her into a very personal place. A wet bottom and muddy shorts were a small price to pay for her trust.

"My family is of the blood of the Tarkhaans, and descended from the great god Tash," the young girl began, seating herself cross-legged in the shade. It was strange to hear a saucy brat like Rozalina suddenly sound so stiff and formal and grown up, but Susan was familiar with the ancient style of Calormene story-telling. She listened closely.

"Doubtless you imagine, most beautiful queen, that all of our proud nobility are wealthy beyond imagining. But it is not so. My mother and father were so poor that they often worked in the field beside our slaves. We had little to eat, and no clothes that were not patched and mended many times over. Now when I was but nine years old, a merchant of great wealth offered to marry me. He was very old and ugly, and I was afraid. Yet I would have married him to feed my family. Instead my brother sacrificed himself to Tash for all of us."

"Oh, dear." Susan was aware that Tash was a cruel god who often demanded human sacrifice. "Your brother must have loved you very much to offer himself in your place. But I thought only slaves were sacrificed on the jeweled altar."

Rozalina nodded. "But rich men often make expensive sacrifices to gain favor with the god. Sometimes poor men sell themselves for this purpose, knowing their families will be well provided for. Reza did this, but then, on the way to Tashbaan with his new master, my brother caught hold of a runaway horse and returned it to its owner. The owner was Prince Rabadash."

"How nice! And did Rabadash reward him for his efforts?"

"He did not, O queen." For the first time in her story, Rozalina allowed a smile to brighten her solemn young face. "Prince Rabadash had in those days a very foul temper, as you may know. When my brother told him he had been riding his animal too hard, the prince attempted to strike him. Instead my brother threw him into a pile of manure."

"He didn't!" Susan laughed but then immediately felt a twinge of fear. "Rabadash didn't . . . he didn't hurt Reza did he?"

"Three times the prince attacked my brother, and three times he was thrown. You see, Reza knew the hill-fighting skills of our western scrubland. But just when the prince was beside himself with rage, the greedy merchant offered to sell my brother to him. Doubtless he imagined that Rabadash would have my noble brother beheaded, or boiled in oil, or . . ."

"But Rabadash didn't do any of those things." Susan was breathless, completely caught up in the story of a brother's sacrifice. But she knew Rabadash had changed.

"He did not," Rozalina confirmed. "Reza had no fear of death, or torture, for he was of the blood of the Tarkhaans. As the gods would have it, Rabadash came to love him like a brother. That was his doom. For when the foolish prince chose to ride north, and make war against your kingdom . . ."

"Rozalina Tarkheena! Come indoors this instant! It is time you returned to your daily chores!" The loud, strong, unmistakably commanding voice belonged to Zuleika, the immensely fat and very dignified wife of Benruz Tarkhaan.

"Oh, bother my chores and the entire house!" Rozalina grumbled, but sprang to her feet at once. Susan was still hoping to hear more of her story. Now it would have to wait.

"Rozalina," she called out softly, still sitting in the shade.

"Yes?" The girl turned in the hot sun to look back at her.

"Thanks for sharing your secret hiding place with me."

"Huh!" For a moment the girl just looked at her. Then she grinned, and went dashing off to her chores in the big house.

Susan felt good about her talk with Rozalina. Maybe the girl was finally starting to accept her as a friend. But there were other questions. What sort of plants were growing in the back fields? What kept the dinosaurs away? Did Benruz Tarkhaan really want to close the gateway between worlds? After all, he frequently traded with the people on the other side. And just what did he trade with them, anyway?

"Zuleika, do you think I could speak with your husband for a few minutes? I have some questions about the dinosaurs. You know, the thunder lizards." As she entered the villa, Susan put on her brightest smile, and pushed aside a tendril of dark hair that had fallen across her dirt-smudged cheek.

"My husband is occupied in his study," the older woman replied. "However, I will send word to him that the Queen of Narnia requires an audience. In the meantime, may I bring you something cool to drink? Perhaps a scented bath?" Zuleika's dark eyes swept Susan from head to toe, letting her know how grubby she looked. "There is no need to worry about the thunder lizards," she added, in a softer tone. "They never disturb us here. Why not rest after your bath? Perhaps a massage with sweet-smelling oils? It is very relaxing. And afterwards a little sleep might be good. It will pass the time till Rabadash returns. And I will be very sure to wake you in time for dinner."

Susan frowned, not liking the way she could already picture herself giving in, and gladly doing what the older woman suggested. "No, thanks. If your husband is busy there's no need to disturb him. I'll just take a quick shower and go for a swim." After blinking her eyes a bit sleepily, she gave Zuleika a sharp look. She wanted to remind her that she really was the Queen of Narnia. Susan was determined to get to the bottom of things around here.

She just needed a shower first.


	10. Tempting Susan

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Ten: Tempting Susan _

Susan was tired after her adventure with Rozalina. She almost decided to forget about the poolside meeting. Instead she took a lovely, refreshing modern shower, and that revived her. When she peeked outside she saw that Benruz Tarkhaan was sitting by the pool already.

The beautiful young Queen of Narnia was determined to face the enigmatic, bearded Tarkhaan head on. She wanted answers. At this very moment the boy she had loved, lost, and found again, Prince Rabadash, was off risking his life in the jungle because the Tarkhaan had foolishly opened up a gate between the worlds. Susan wanted to know why.

She squeezed into her bathing suit – a white two-piece that in her own schooldays in wartime England would have been considered far too revealing. Not even Betty Grable exposed this much flesh in the famous pin-up made for Yank soldiers! Of course Susan realized that her own English curves were quite well suited to the so-called "bikini" swimsuit. She had to give Benruz Tarkhaan credit for generosity and good taste.

Susan sat down at her dressing table, carefully applying just a little grown-up makeup with a subtle touch. It was ridiculous to be angry at the Tarkhaan for bringing her things she had desperately missed in Narnia – things like lipstick, eyeliner, and mascara. She didn't want to sound childish or ungrateful. She did want to know what Benruz Tarkhaan was after. He'd brought her here and now she and Rabadash were back together – so what was in it for him?

"How lovely you look this afternoon, most fashionable queen!" Benruz Tarkhaan looked up from the glossy magazine he was reading, a smile on his dark, bearded face. "You are even more stunning in a plain white bathing suit from your own world than in the jeweled gowns of Narnia. For has not one of the poets said, true beauty is timeless?"

"It was kind of you to bring me back so many wonderful things to wear from my world," Susan replied in a grown-up, queenly voice, ignoring the older man's blatant flattery. She seated herself with dignity in a luxurious reclining lounger. There was a table between her and the Tarkhaan, complete with drinks and the latest magazines. It was all very comfortable and modern, so naturally Susan's mind went back to her earlier questions. "What will you do when the gateway between the worlds is closed, Benruz Tarkhaan? Doesn't all your wealth depend on trade?"

"It is true, my lands here are profitable only so long as the gates remain open," the Tarkhaan replied, handing Susan a tall glass of mint iced tea with a slice of lemon on the side. "But in your world – in our world – I am also quite wealthy. I own a casino and a resort hotel in the Caribbean. You see, Miss Pevensie, like you I have one foot in this world and one in the other. My real name is Benito Ruiz. Ben for short."

"You know my name?" Susan nearly choked on her drink. It was one thing to receive presents from Benruz Tarkhaan, clothing and jewelry and cosmetics. That was harmless enough. But it was different to realize he knew all about her!

"Please, don't be alarmed," said the man called Ben Ruiz. "My knowledge only comes from what Prince Rabadash told me months ago. You mentioned something to him about air raids, London, and a wardrobe?"

"Well . . . perhaps I did." Susan gulped her iced tea, suddenly hot with embarrassment. "Why should my real name and origins mean anything to you?" She knew she sounded rather rude. Her head was still buzzing from shock.

"This is why." Ben handed her the magazine he'd been reading.

"Yes, it's a fashion magazine. I've seen it before. Hot Model, I believe it's called?"

"Read the title backwards."

"Huh?" The Narnian queen peered at the glossy cover. "Hot model, that would be, er, ledom, toh?" Susan frowned, for she hated puzzles and had never been very good at schoolwork. "Oh, Toh Ledom! That's the name of the magic mirror, the one I fell into when I first came here. Why would a magic mirror in this world be named after a cheap, vulgar fashion magazine back home?"

"It's a very good magazine, really. Important people in fashion still read it. But I'm afraid it's been losing money for years." Ben leaned over and poured her another iced tea. "The publisher is a gambler, a regular at my casino. He owes me a lot of money. It would be incredibly easy for me to persuade him that a new cover model is just what he needs. And once you've done a few covers for him, you'll find yourself in demand everywhere."

"A model? Me?" Susan's carefully made up face showed utter astonishment. Her lush and crimson-painted mouth was hanging open. "What could possibly make you think I want to be a model?"

"Well, for one thing you're a very beautiful girl," Ben said reasonably. "You're fond of having the latest clothes and cosmetics. You'd enjoy it, and you'd make pots of money. You have that haughty, fine-boned aristocratic English quality the top designers all adore. And anyway, once you and Rabadash close the doorway between worlds, you'll have to find some way to make a living. It's a good bet the sheer force of the para-dimensional energy blast will kick you both right out of this world. If it doesn't kill you, that is."

"Oh, dear." Susan didn't like the sound of being blown out of this world – not even if it led to a glamorous, exciting career as a model. And then there was Rabadash to think about – would he really want to leave this world behind? After all, he was next in line to the throne of the Tisroc. She gulped down her drink in a daze, feeling totally overwhelmed.

"I know it's a lot to think about," Ben Ruiz said kindly. He took the empty glass from Susan's nerveless fingers and set it on the table. "This world grows on you after a while. I like being Benruz Tarkhaan. And I've gotten awfully attached to my wife Zuleika. But I guess maybe it's time to move on. HOT MODEL could sure use a figure like yours on the cover. And it could be big money for all of us. Think it over, okay?"

"Yes . . . I need to think it over." Susan fumbled for the lever that transformed her upright reclining chair into a proper bed. Modern comforts and luxuries were all very well – but did Aslan really want her to become a fashion model? Or just to close the gates between the two worlds? What if doing the right thing only led to more temptation later on?

"Here, let me help you." Ben Ruiz reached over and cranked back her chair. Susan tried to smile, but thanking the man was just too much for her. Her head fell back and she slept.


	11. The Defiant Ones

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Eleven: The Defiant Ones _

And now we must return to Prince Rabadash and his journey into the wilderness to seek out the wisdom of Aslan.

When he left the home of Benruz Tarkhaan, early in the morning, the Calormen prince was very proud of himself. He had never expected to see Susan Pevensie again. When she came back into his life he knew it was a spiritual test. Without hiding his true feelings, Rabadash had resisted temptation. He was certain that Aslan would appreciate how hard he had worked to keep things from going too far – especially since Queen Susan was now a beautiful young woman with a woman's natural and healthy desires.

A roar in the jungle made the prince freeze for a moment. Rabadash wasn't afraid of dinosaurs. But he was glad he'd left Susan behind. She was all on fire to share the danger with him, of course. Susan was a caring person, and she was very brave. But after the late night they'd had, including that most intimate conversation on the couch, leaving her to catch up on her sleep seemed safer for both of them. Now all he had to do was keep his mind off the Narnian queen while climbing the mountain trail to the sacred pylons.

He hoped Aslan would tell him of another way to close the gate between the worlds. Already the trail was growing steep, rocky, and hard to climb. The sacred task would be hard enough for him, but even tougher on Susan. Rabadash was hot and tired, but he was still a Calormen warrior. He had been trained from boyhood to march and fight under the burning sun. So he kept on walking, climbing higher all the time, until at last he came to the foot of a tall cliff.

When he looked straight up to the summit the prince thought he saw the shadow of a lion. And a voice whispered to him, "throw away your sword and come to me." But when he looked up again Rabadash saw only the white-hot glare of the noonday sun. Instead of heeding the inner voice, he decided that scaling the cliff with his bare hands was too dangerous and rash. Rabadash had been reckless before and ended up a fool. The mighty Aslan had punished him, and he had nearly lost Susan forever.

This time he would be more careful.

At first it seemed he had made the right choice. Working his way around the base of the cliff, Rabadash soon found a winding trail that led upwards to a green oasis on the bleak mountainside. A crystal-clear stream trickled down over the rocks and fell straight into a deep pool. Rabadash wanted a drink badly. But another young man was there ahead of him.

"Greetings, friend," said the Calormen prince, striding boldly forward. He had no enemies in this remote corner of his father's vast empire. But when the golden-haired boy lifted his dripping face from the pool Rabadash saw a familiar light in his bright blue eyes. It was the gleam of pure defiance.

"You!" Prince Corin of Archenland had left his sword just out of reach. But he was not called Corin Thunderfist for nothing. Before Rabadash could back away the younger boy was right on top of him, pounding away with both fists!

"Wait! Wait! I've _changed!_" Though flat on his back, Prince Rabadash might have drawn his dagger, if not his sword. Instead he tried to stop Corin by reasoning with him. That mistake cost him a black eye and a bloody lip within the first few seconds of the fight.

Prince Corin was friendly and good-natured. But like Rabadash, he had been raised by a warrior culture that placed courage far above patience as a virtue for young men. He was not the type to listen to reason once the fighting started.

"Stop, you fool!" Rabadash had to hurl the fair-haired boy across the clearing, using the hill-fighting skills his friend Reza had taught him. "I am not here to fight you, Corin. I am here to see the great Lion."

"What business does an ape like you have with Aslan?" Though the fall hurt a lot, Corin bounced up from the ground like a rubber ball, ready to rush Rabadash a second time.

Rabadash felt rage flare inside him. "I am not an ape. I am a man just like you. I am trying to save Queen Susan – _oof!_" It was impossible to throw Prince Corin this time because the sturdy young Archenlander put his head down and butted Rabadash like a bull, knocking the wind right out of him.

"Don't you dare talk about Queen Susan!" Corin towered over Rabadash, who was now lying helpless on the ground. "Aslan turned you into a donkey because you are a filthy lying _beast_ who attacked my country. You wanted to kill us all and do _horrible_ things to Susan. And if Aslan finds out you've broken your word and invaded our country again he'll turn you back into a donkey . . . for keeps!"

"This is not Archenland," Rabadash rasped. "These mountains . . . are the southern border of my father's empire. Beyond that . . . lies the gateway to other worlds."

"What other worlds?" Corin put his hands on his hips, frowning. When not fighting, he often found life confusing.

"You were brought here by magic, were you not?" Rabadash sat up slowly, his breath coming in painful gasps. "Where were you before you saw me?"

"I was out hunting, and I got lost." Corin paused. "Hey, wait. I never get lost! Not in my own forest. And no magic could ever take hold in Archenland unless it was Aslan's will!"

"Well said, Prince Corin," said a deep, rich voice from behind the rocks. Suddenly Aslan himself walked into the little clearing.

"Forgive me, lord," Rabadash cried, falling down on his knees. "I heard your voice from the summit, but I failed to heed the call. And I fought." The dark prince closed his eyes, in total dread of what punishment he would receive.

"I wouldn't call what you did _fighting_," Prince Corin Thunderfist jeered. "I'm younger than you and I knocked you down twice! It just goes to show that a true, blue-eyed son of Archenland is always superior to a dark-skinned, shifty, lying son of a – _whoops!"_

"Grow up, son of Archenland." Just as quick as lightning, the great golden lion sprang on the golden-haired northerner. He tossed Prince Corin high in the air, catching him in his mouth as he fell. Then he shook him back and forth.

"What did I do? What did I do? I only wanted to prove I was better than he was. And I did it too!"

Aslan dropped him. "Listen to me, defiant ones. I made all the men in this world, light skinned and dark. And when I look at you, I can see that fools come in all colors. Now Queen Susan is in great danger. But there is still time to save her. The first thing we must do . . ."


	12. Hour Of Vengeance

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Twelve: Hour Of Vengeance_

"It's time, Rozalina."

"I hear and obey, my father." The girl sighed as she put away her childish things. She had been drawing a picture of Prince Rabadash and her brother Reza Tarkhaan locked in mortal combat with Aslan, the foul fiend of Narnia. In the picture her brother was gravely wounded, trapped beneath the lion's paws. But Rabadash was about to kill the beast with his long curved sword. Underneath the picture Rozalina had written, "Hour of vengeance – the bolt of Tash falls from above!"

But in the real world vengeance wasn't always a matter of swords and lightning bolts. And sometimes the evil enemy was not so easy to hate and destroy.

"There she is." Benruz Tarkhaan pointed to where the Queen of Narnia lay sleeping by the outdoor swimming pool. It would be easy to creep up on Susan and kill her in her sleep. Wasn't that what her brother and Tash would want? Yet deep down Rozalina felt ashamed at the idea of killing a helpless enemy. She could almost hear the gentle voice of the queen, saying, "I've often heard that the Calormenes are a cruel people. But I've never heard of a Calormen coward."

"Go to her," Benruz Tarkhaan commanded. "Wake her up. It is time, girl. Time to prove you truly loved your brother Reza. You know what you must do."

"Yes, my father." Rozalina moved forward with a smile on her face.

"Susan, Queen Susan, wake up! Rabadash is in trouble."

"What? Dash in trouble? Where is he – oh, my head!" Susan woke up feeling as though she had to rush to the prince's rescue. But she sat up too quickly. It seemed the iced tea she'd been drinking all afternoon really packed a wallop. Her head was pounding and everything kept spinning. She remembered chatting with Benruz Tarkhaan, something about modeling and making lots of money. But then everything went black. How long had she been out?

"Come on, come on, we've got to get going!" Rozalina kept poking and prodding as Susan stood up stretching and shivering. The night air was chilly and she'd slept in nothing but a swim suit.

"Where are we going?" she asked, blinking her brown eyes.

The dark, lively little Calormen girl let out an impatient hiss. "Rabadash went off to the mountains early this morning, remember? He hasn't come back yet and it's past dinner. But my father found this floating in the river."

"That's the turban Rabadash wore over his helmet!" Susan's memory flew back to Cair Paravel, to the exciting day Prince Rabadash challenged all comers at the tournament – and the exciting night that followed. The long-ago memory of his lips on hers made Queen Susan frantic to find him at once. "Dash may be hurt – we have to find that mountain trail!"

"No, no!" Rozalina tugged her arm. "Benruz Tarkhaan has a boat. We can go up river and reach the mountains by water. If Rabadash lost his turban he was probably drinking by a mountain stream – we'll most likely find him near the water."

"Right!" All Susan's doubts and fears were instantly extinguished by her deep desire to rescue Prince Rabadash.

"Welcome aboard La Paloma, O royal queen!" Benruz Tarkhaan bowed low, his formal courtesy seeming a bit out of place on such a sleek modern craft. The Dove, Susan realized, was a yacht like the ones millionaires had at home. But this luxurious yacht had modern devices of every kind, even a microwave oven to heat hot chocolate in the galley.

"Isn't it a bit dangerous to be traveling the river at night?" she asked some time later, holding a steaming mug in her cold hands as she sat on a high stool in the stainless-steel galley. The two Calormene females, Rozalina and Zuleika, had gone below to sleep after helping her change out of her revealing bikini and into jeans and a warm pullover sweater. Only Benruz Tarkhaan remained to keep her company, his white teeth gleaming in the dim light from the microwave.

"Do not worry about the thunder lizards," the older man told Susan, smiling at the nervous look on her flawless pale face. "The weeds which grow by the river have a scent which seems to scare them off. Of course, there are other plants which attract them. Take these blossoms, for example."

"Mm, what a lovely scent." Susan closed her eyes, inhaling the fresh scent of the tiny white flowers with pleasure. Then she frowned. "Isn't this the plant you've been cultivating in the fields behind your house?"

The older man nodded. "The coca plant is a useful cash crop. Good for trading in my own world, too."

"But if the scent attracts dinosaurs . . ." Susan was suddenly very dizzy. She stood up, meaning to go to her cabin. Instead she fell into the arms of Benruz Tarkhaan. And then everything went black.

When Susan regained consciousness she was standing knee-deep in a carpet of small white flowers. She struggled, but it was no use. Her hands were tied behind her back. She was fastened to a stake that had been driven deep into the soft mud of the river bank.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Queen of Narnia saw three shadowy figures standing on a nearby hill. She tried to sound stern and bold instead of helpless and frightened.

"This is the hour of vengeance," said the smallest figure. "When the sun rises, the dinosaurs will come out of the jungle. They will smell the weeds, and they will come to you. Hopefully it will be a quick death. You are a very kind lady."

"But we're friends! Rozalina, why are you doing this to me?"

"It is the will of Tash." Rozalina spoke as though in a trance. "Prince Rabadash told me how your sister killed my brother. Now I'm going to kill you. It is right for me to do this."

"No, it is not right for you to do this! You've been dishonest with me and you're using trickery to do something evil! And besides. . ." Susan was certain she remembered something about vengeance belonging to someone wiser than the person who was angry. But all she could think of was Rabadash finding her dead and blaming himself, or worse, blaming Aslan. Cursing Aslan. That started her crying, for she knew he would be lost then. And the truth was that, though she loved Aslan most of all, Susan cared much more about her handsome dark prince than she did about herself.

"Don't take it so hard, cupcake," laughed evil Benruz Tarkhaan. "The dinosaurs will make it quick. And they'll take care of Prince Rabadash, too. That way the gateway between worlds can stay open, and I can make billions of dollars trading with the drug cartels. The coca plant is native to South America, but it grows even better here."

"But what about the people of this world?" Susan sobbed. "Don't you care what happens to them?"

"Of course I do," the Tarkhaan said. "Even though my name is really Ben Ruiz, I'm still loyal to the Tisroc, may he live forever. He's happy that I'm getting rid of his eldest son. Rabadash always was too stupid and reckless for him. And not only that, but with a few modern weapons we can conquer Narnia and Archenland in no time. Just think what Rabadash could have done with a few machine guns!"

"Zuleika, Rozalina, how can you allow this to happen?" Susan sniffled loudly. She was more hurt than afraid.

"I must obey my husband," said the Calormen lady.

"I must avenge my brother," said the Calormen girl.

Neither of them looked very happy. When Benruz Tarkhaan whistled for some extra help they didn't even look up. And then the men with the machine guns started binding them to stakes as well.


	13. Susan The Strong

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Thirteen: Susan The Strong _

Susan understood that she was going to Aslan's country. Being tied to a stake and eaten by dinosaurs was a horrible fate, but was it really any worse than being bound to a stone table and stabbed through the heart? If Lucy were here, she would be _happy_ to be going to Aslan in such a glorious fashion. Susan held her head up high, even though the tears kept pouring down her cheeks. It was the least she could do.

"This is all my fault," said a soft voice beside her. It was Rozalina, the angry little girl who had betrayed Susan to the traitor Benruz Tarkhaan. "I wanted to avenge my brother, because your sister Lucy killed him on the battle field. I never thought Benruz Tarkhaan would betray me. I thought my brother's spirit would be pleased if I helped him trap you!"

"I thought my husband would be pleased if I obeyed him," said Zuleika, the big and bulky wife of the Tarkhaan. "Loyalty has been the downfall of both this foolish child and me. For has not one of the poets said, blind obedience is mere folly?"

"Well, I guess all of us loved the wrong people," Susan replied, in a weak, shaky voice. She tried to hold her head up high, to be proud of the fate that awaited her, but she couldn't. In her hour of need, Rabadash was nowhere to be found. Even if it wasn't his fault, Susan had the feeling Aslan was sending a definite message by having her die alone. She had put her own happiness ahead of everything else. As soon as nice-looking boys began to look her way she forgot all about Aslan and the love that endured beyond time.

Even now, of course, it was not too late to turn back to Aslan. All she had to do was smile and say, "be of good cheer, companions, for tonight we dine in Aslan's country."

"B-b-be of good cheer, companions," Queen Susan began. Her full, soft lips were trembling. She could taste the salt in her tears. But she kept on trying. For once she would be strong, like the others. "T-tonight we d-d-dine . . ."

"Tonight we die?" The fear in Rozalina's dark face was awful to behold. She was just a child, yet she knew the truth.

"I said dine, not d-die." Susan tried to smile, thinking it was really a very funny joke. Instead she began to blubber.

Just then there was a noise from the other side of the clearing.

"_Quie`n es?"_ Asked one of the guards, standing up and pulling back the bolt of his machine gun. He peered into the darkness, yet a moment later his head went flying, struck clean off his shoulders.

"The bolt of Tash falls from above!" Quick as a lightning bolt himself, Prince Rabadash charged into the clearing, taking the drug runners by surprise before they could even fire. He beheaded the first two men with his long, curved scimitar. The third man fired wildly, spraying the clearing, but was suddenly cut down from behind.

"The Lion! The Lion!" shouted Prince Corin Thunderfist of Narnia. The remaining criminals fled down the river, and both the handsome warrior princes immediately turned their attention to cutting Queen Susan loose from her bonds.

"It's good to see the two of you fighting on the same side for a change," Susan said, in a wobbly voice, managing a faint smile through her tears.

"It wasn't my idea," Corin protested. "But what Aslan wants, Aslan gets. Funny, he should be around here somewhere. He said something about facing down a great beast at dawn."

"It's almost dawn now," Susan said, nervously searching the pale jungle sky. Just then Rabadash grabbed her arm.

"Hush, my queen. One of our party is hurt."

It was true. Young Rozalina was fine, but a stray bullet had struck the heavy-set wife of the Tarkhaan. She lay in a pool of her own blood, a distant look on her face.

"This is my end," she said softly, as the two boy princes tried to staunch the bleeding wound.

"No, no, you'll be all right!" Susan grabbed her hand and squeezed hard. "Dear Zuleika, you mustn't die! None of this was your fault. Your husband deceived us both!"

"Rozalina," the dying woman whispered. "You and the prince . . . take care of Rozalina. Take her to a world . . . without killing." The older woman gave a deep sigh, and then her eyes fell shut.

"Don't go, Zuleika!" Fierce little Rozalina beseeched, with tears streaming down her face. "I promise I'll never be naughty again!"

"Don't weep, my daughter," Rabadash said gently. "We are a family now. May peace be upon our friend, Zuleika, who was like a mother to all of us. And may her strength live on in us."

"Dash, you . . . you've changed." Susan looked at the prince. It felt stupid to finally realize that she had been right about Rabadash all along. Wishing for it was one thing, but when she saw the proof she didn't know what to say.

He gave her a wide, crooked grin, very different from his usual haughty Calormene demeanor. "Apes may grow honest, lovely queen. Fools may grow wise."

"And the weak become strong." Susan smiled at her own private joke as Rabadash pulled her into his arms. A new and devastating weakness swept her from head to toe as he kissed her. Yet she wasn't ashamed in the least.

Just then there was a roar from the jungle.

"That's not Aslan," Prince Corin said nervously.

"The terrible lizard! Susan, take Rozalina and hide. We two will fight until the Lion comes to our aid." Rabadash broke the kiss with lightning speed, pushing Susan behind him and drawing his long curved blade. Corin immediately did likewise. The thudding crash of heavy footsteps heralded the arrival of the Tyrannosaurus Rex who had haunted Susan's nightmares since the day she first came to this strange land.

"No!" Susan stepped forward, just as the huge creature arrived in the clearing. "No! No! Get out! Go away! I'm tired of you!" To the absolute amazement of the two boys, she ran forward, waving her arms, shouting as loud as she could. Instead of springing on her, the dinosaur paused.

"Go away! Be gone, lizard!" Susan wasn't backing down. She kept shouting. And after a moment, the hideous creature seemed to lose his nerve. He turned and stomped back into the jungle, his tail swishing back and forth.

"How – how did you do that?" Prince Corin's blue eyes were wide with astonishment. "Susan, that was the bravest thing I've ever seen!"

"I changed," Susan said proudly. She reached up to touch Rabadash, gently stroking his brown cheek with her hand. "Just like my favorite donkey prince."

Rabadash brought her slim white fingers to his lips. "With Aslan's help we have done much, my fearless queen. From now on I shall call you Susan the Strong."

"Susan the Strong!" Rozalina clapped her hands in delight, then dropped her arms as her face clouded over. "I wish Zuleika could have seen . . ."

"All of you have done much, children," said a deep voice. "But much work remains, and time is short."

And then Aslan himself stepped into the clearing.


	14. No Longer An Ass

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF SUSAN

_Chapter Fourteen: No Longer An Ass_

It was just like being a little girl again.

Fear and excitement sent Susan's heart racing as she flew through the jungle at incredible speed, her long dark hair streaming behind her. Riding on Aslan's back was more than just a wildly exhilarating experience. It was a link to the most precious days of her childhood – when she had been truly innocent and felt truly close to her brothers and her sister. Back before liking boys and lipstick and invitations had made her feel like an outsider in her own family.

"Never have I known such joy and peril," Rabadash whispered in her ear. When his strong arms tightened around her slender waist Susan realized that she was too old for Narnia. "This ride is worth a lifetime of glory as Tisroc. Holding you is all I desire, though I die the instant we stop!"

_It's all I desire too_, Susan thought worriedly. _But will Aslan understand?_

Suddenly the Great Lion stopped at the base of a tall cliff.

"End of the line, children," the great beast purred, as the two of them tumbled off his golden back and into the soft green grass. "You have work to do."

"Work?" Susan gasped. Her long, dark hair was a mess from the long gallop. She wished she had a comb and a mirror.

"The pylons," Rabadash reminded her. Facing Aslan, he made a stiff bow in the formal Calormene fashion. "O my father, my past folly proves I am unworthy of your trust. But I will climb this tall cliff at once, though it mean my death."

"Peace, son of Calormen," Aslan growled softly. "You cannot win my love merely by offering your life, for that is mine to take at the time and place of my choosing. Will you climb this cliff knowing you may never see Queen Susan again?"

"Oh," Susan moaned, under her breath. This was the one test that frightened her more than anything else. Rabadash was looking pale, as pale as such a dark-skinned boy could.

"I will," Rabadash said quietly. "I am no longer an ass, O Mightiest One. I see now that I never loved Susan at all until I learned how both of us were but a tiny part of your vast plan for all the living creatures in all the worlds. And knowing this, I know our love will survive – though I turn back to an ass this moment, and have to bray out my devotion for all eternity."

Susan felt tears running down her cheeks by the time Rabadash finished speaking. Aslan did not growl, nor did he roar. He simply blew out his breath until it caused a mighty wind to rise and lift Prince Rabadash off his feet. She looked up, shading her eyes with her hand, but in moments the dashing prince in his bright turban and gleaming armor was no larger than a bird. A fly. A speck of dust. Nothing.

"He knows what to do," Aslan told her, in his calm voice. "He is safe at the top of the cliff. Are you ready to do your part, dear heart?"

"I . . . I . . ." Susan felt faint, and she sat down on the grass. The truth was that she was terribly afraid of heights. But she also wanted a moment to talk about Rabadash. "I never told him any of the things he said just now," she said, wanting to get the worst out at once. "I never thought of you at all, Aslan. When we met again, all I thought about was . . . him."

Aslan growled softly. "You were never with the boy in the darkest days of his punishment. But I was."

"You were?" Susan asked, astonished. "You mean when he was a donkey, you went and visited him in his . . . cage?"

"Many times," the Lion replied. "For Rabadash, the great struggle was won before you came back to him. You see, Susan, I know him better than you do. And so I have better reason to trust him now."

A flush came to Susan's beautiful cheeks. "You mean, he has been thinking of you the whole time, while I was only thinking of my own happiness."

Aslan said nothing.

"I'm ready to give Rabadash up, if that's what you want. If that's the only way I can be Susan again . . . your Susan."

"That you can never be," the Lion rumbled. "That girl is gone, dear heart. Your destiny is to find me again as a woman, not a child. But you and Rabadash must face great danger before you can find a future together."

"You mean the pylons." Susan looked up with dread, remembering what Rabadash had told her.

_"You cannot imagine the danger, dearest queen. To seal the gate, two people must mount two pylons facing each other across a deep ravine. Each raises a crystal that catches the sun at the exact same moment. Both must stay in place and keep their crystals high in the air while the gateway screams with hot winds and bolts of flashing fire. And if either should weaken, both will instantly perish."_

"The gate between the worlds must be closed," Aslan told her. "And you and Rabadash must leave my world forever."

"Then, if we survive the danger of the pylons, and leave this world, we can be happy together . . . as a couple?"

"There is more than danger for you to overcome, child." Aslan's golden eyes looked very sad and mysterious. "Once you are at the top of the cliff, you will have to endure pain and fear and isolation. But there will also be . . . temptation. The last temptation you will ever face in my world."

"Well, that's a relief." Susan tried to smile, to feel confident as Aslan leaned forward and gently breathed on her to give her courage. But even as she began to rise in the air, feeling lifted by his invisible strength, a chill ran down her spine. Those five ominous words kept running through her head.

_The last temptation of Susan. _

_The last temptation of Susan. _

_The last temptation of Susan . . ._


End file.
